The west entrance to the Winamac Town Park could soon become a little safer. Town manager and park board member Brad Zellers told the rest of the board Thursday that the town plans to apply for a Community Crossings Grant to ease the slope of Main Street east of Riverside Drive.
The Pulaski County Council narrowly decided to keep the same president for another year. Ken Boswell was reelected to the position last week by a vote of four-to-three, over Rudy DeSabatine. DeSabatine was then nominated for another year as vice-president, but was defeated by new council member Adam Loehmer, also by a vote of four-to-three.
The Winamac Park Board appears to have reached a solution to the Town Park’s pickleball problem. Rather than allowing the shared tennis and pickleball court to be re-equipped exclusively for pickleball, board president and pickleball player Jon Chapman suggested an idea to make it easier to have both sports.
The Winamac Town Park could get some more playground equipment next year. Connie Roe, who directs the adult volleyball league, asked the park board last week about the possibility of adding playground equipment between the volleyball and basketball courts.
The Winamac Town Park’s “swinging bridge” may soon get a new paint job. The town’s park board got the results of the recent bridge inspection during Thursday’s meeting. Looking through the inspection report, board members noted that it only found a few minor issues with the 96-year-old bridge.
Pulaski County Council: back row: Mike Tiede, Kathi Thompson, Brian Young; front row: Scott Hinkle, Rudy DeSabatine, Jay Sullivan (not pictured: Ken Boswell)
The Pulaski County Council finalized
more than $70,000 in additional appropriations this week. A large
chunk of that was pension and vehicle funding for the Sheriff’s
Department, according to Auditor Laura Wheeler.
A bike repair station similar to this one may soon be installed in Winamac.
Cyclists traveling through Winamac may
soon have a place to stop and repair their bikes. During last week’s
Winamac Park Board meeting, Board Member Pat Bawcum said Friends of
the Panhandle Pathway is looking to install a bike repair station
near the restrooms.
The Pulaski County Council and
Commissioners will open health insurance bids tonight. The bid
opening will take place during their joint session, scheduled to
begin at 6:00 p.m. EDT at the Pulaski County Highway Garage.
The Winamac Park Board is waiting for
some direction from the town council before working on an application
for this year’s round of federal grant funding. During Thursday’s
meeting, Park Board Member Pat Bawcum suggested writing a grant for a
splash pad, if the town council decides not to move forward with a
swimming pool project.
After years of removing dying ash trees from the Winamac Town Park, park officials are now beginning to look into replacing them.
Park Manager Dave DeLorenzo brought the issue to the park board Thursday.
He estimated that 90 to 95 trees have been lost to the emerald ash borer, although there are some that remain. He asked the park board about working with the Tree Committee to gradually plant a variety of new trees over the next few years.
A planned lighting feature for the
Winamac Town Park’s swinging bridge continues to be discussed by the
town’s park board. As of today, project organizers and town officials
have exactly four-and-a-half years to raise hundreds of thousands of
dollars and install the feature in time for the Memorial Bridge’s
centennial.
The Winamac Town Park will soon be getting some new athletic equipment. Last week, the park board voted to let Park Manager Dave DeLorenzo buy a pair of portable full-size soccer goals.
The Winamac Park Board is looking to add some more maintenance help. Based on a recent work session on the upkeep of the town’s parks, Park Board President Courtney Poor says he’s come to the conclusion that Park Manager Dave DeLorenzo needs more help.
The Winamac Park Board is looking to clarify who’s responsible for what, when it comes to the maintenance of the Town Park. Board member Jon Chapman raised the issue during Thursday’s meeting, noting that there are a lot of moving parts, when it comes to running the park, “Some of which are handled by Power from the Past, some of which are handled by [Park Manager] Dave [DeLorenzo], some of which are handled by Dave with help from the town, some of which are handled by other parties. Dave asked from the time we became a board for kind of a list of what the priority things are, and we really haven’t ever done that,” Chapman said.
The Winamac Park Board still isn’t ready to install new pickleball courts in the Town Park, but a decision about whether the project should move ahead will come next month. The park board has discussed converting the remaining tennis court into two additional pickleball courts, to handle growing demand. Meanwhile, a new tennis court could be built east of the current one, but such a project could come at a significant cost.
Upgrades to the Winamac Town Park’s restrooms and toddler playground may get some financial support from this year’s round of Land and Water Conservation Fund grants. Last year, the town’s park board applied for $200,000 for its swimming pool rebuilding project. It wasn’t selected, but officials with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources say it would have a good chance this year, according to park board member Pat Bawcum. The problem is that the town has decided not to pursue the project for the time-being, due to concerns that money wouldn’t be available to operate the pool if it’s built.
Two Winamac Park Board members are up for reappointment. The terms of Chris Schramm and Pat Bawcum both expire around January, according to Park Board Secretary Kim Burke.
Now that the Town of Winamac has pulled its financial support of the swimming pool rebuilding project, the town’s park board is thinking about other projects that could benefit from potential grant funding.
Winamac artist Greg Hildebrandt drew this rendering of the proposed bench and sign placement for the park board.
The Winamac Park Board is scaling back its plans for upgrades to Veterans Memorial Park, at least for now. Park Board President Courtney Poor had suggested adding a decorative archway prominently displaying the name of the park. But during last week’s meeting, he said he has reconsidered, after residents complained the archway would clutter the park.
Vendors may now set up shop in the Winamac Town Park. The Winamac Park Board approved a resolution Monday that allows vendors and establishes some guidelines. Anyone selling items in the park will have to provide proof of insurance to the town. Park Board President Courtney Poor also requested that vendors tell the town in advance when and where they’d like to operate.